A PRAYER TO GANESHA

Decorated Indian elephant. The Zoomorphic form of Lord Ganesha is derived from the face of Asiatic/Indian Elephant. It provides a very interesting concept about finding Peace, Harmony, and Tranquility in the performance of human actions by simply meditating upon this face which gives the mental composure and removes obstacles in performing actions. Photo Credit:Faraz Usmani, Said&Done’s Photostream. http://www.flickr.com/photos/faraz27989/315075930/

A prayer to Lord Ganesha for success with humility.A prayer to Lord Ganesha for success with humility.

Sri Vakra Tunda Mahaa kaaya,

Koti Surya Sama Prabhaa,

Nir vighnam Kuru me Deva,

Subha karyeshu Sarvada.

I seek the blessings of Lord Ganesha in all of my actions that intend to promote my well-being or help in promoting the well-being of others.

While reflecting upon Lord Ganesha it is important to understand the ‘zoomorphic’ form represented in Indian Culture. He is popularly known as the God with Elephant’s head. There are two species of elephants. Elephas maximus is native to India and Southeastern Asia. Loxodonta africana, the second elephant species is known as the African elephant. The ears of the Indian elephant are considerably smaller than those of the African elephant which has large ears with a flatter head.Indian elephants are extensively used as ceremonial animals and are also widely drafted for a variety of purposes. African elephant is never used as a ceremonial animal and used as a draft animal to a very small extent. Lord Ganesha cannot be portrayed with the head of an African elephant. He cannot be depicted with two tusks. He has one tusk and it could only resemble the tusk of an Indian elephant. The long, flexible snout known as ‘trunk’ of Ganesha must always show a bend in its curvature and is never depicted straight and hence the hymn identifies Him as “VAKRA TUNDA”. Some European artists who had no clue about the differences between the two elephant species had depicted Lord Ganesha with the head of an African elephant. The Lord is connected to the Land of India and only the Indian elephant has the honor to represent His zoomorphic form.

Please also read the related blog post titled ‘ A prayer to Lord Ganesha for success with humility’

My name is Pallavi Sen and I am writing to you because your website is currently using a photograph owned by Faraz Usmani, without permission or attribution. (The image of the decorated elephant)

This image was uploaded by the photographer on his Flickr account under the name said&done and was later used by Wikipedia with his permission. Wikipedia also cites him as the owner of the photograph and provides a link to his Flickr account.

Wikipedia has used the image under the Creative Commons License 2.0 which states that anyone can SHARE this photograph (use it on their blog, website etc) or ADAPT it as long as they ATTRIBUTE the work to the author and the work is not being used for a COMMERCIAL purpose, ie. being sold by you or helping sell something.

Mr. Usmani, is very happy that his photograph is loved by so many, and that so many want to share it. However, it is not only illegal but also very hurtful to not give him the credit for what you and so many others online have enjoyed freely. To correct this error, I would request you to continue using the photograph but with the addition of his name and a link to his Flickr page :http://www.flickr.com/photos/faraz27989/315075930/

I am certain that your usage of this image without permission was an honest mistake, as I have also been guilty of it in the past. However, I do urge you to correct it as soon as possible and notify me so that we take no further action.

Dear Pallavi Sen,
Many thanks for contacting me and for giving me the opportunity to give due credit to the owner of the photo image. As mentioned in the blog, I seek blessings of Lord Ganesha in all of my actions that intend to promote my well-being or help in promoting the well-being of others including you and Faraz Usmani. The photo image is used to describe the concept of “Zoomorphic” form, the Elephant face of Lord Ganesha bringing Peace, Harmony, and Tranquility in the performance of all human actions by removing obstacles while performing actions.